Facts

Area: total: 8,511,965 sq km land: 8,456,510 sq km water: 55,455 sq km

boundaries:
total: 14,691 km
border countries: Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km

Coastline: 7,491 km

Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south.

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt.

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m

Natural resources: bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

Land use:
arable land: 6.96%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 92.15% (2001)

Irrigated land: 26,560 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south.

Population: 186,112,794

Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)